Magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus with automatic tape loading and unloading device

Claim 2

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising take-up and supply reels carrying a magnetic tape and between which said tapE extends, a cylindrical tape guide drum, at least one rotary magnetic head moved in a path substantially coinciding with the periphery of said drum, a plurality of guides mounted about said periphery of the drum but spaced therefrom, means for moving said guides in an inclined arcuate path which extends about said periphery of the drum and which is relatively low at a portion of said arcuate path disposed between said guide drum and said reels, tape engaging means adapted to engage said magentic tape between said reels when said apparatus is in an inactive condition, and means for moving said tape engaging means in accompaniment with said guides to withdraw a loop of tape from said reels and engage one side of the tape loop with said drum over a predetermined peripheral extent of the latter for scanning by said rotary head while said guides, in moving along said low portion of the arcuate path, pass under said one side of the tape loop so as to enter the latter and hold the other side of the tape loop away from said guide drum.

Claim 3

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 1, in which said reels are remote from said arcuate path in which the guides are moved, and said tape engaging means is movable into and out of said arcuate path, and further comprising means for displacing said tape engaging means out of said arcuate path in said inactive condition of the apparatus for said engagement with said tape between said reels, and for moving said tape engaging means into said arcuate path in the course of the movement of said tape engaging means in accompaniment with said guides.

Claim 4

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 2, in which a rotatable support member extends around said guide drum, and said guides and said tape engaging means are mounted on said support member.

Claim 5

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 3, in which said support member is in the form of a ring rotatable about its center which is eccentrically located with respect to the axis of said guide drum in the direction toward said reels so as to provide a relatively large clearance between said ring and said drum at the side of the latter facing toward said reels, and further comprising a rotated capstan spaced from said guide drum and located within said clearance to be engageable by said tape in response to the movement of said tape engaging means and guides for engaging the tape with said drum, pinch roller means carried by said support member to be moved adjacent said capstan upon completion of said movement of said engaging means and guides, and means operative upon said completion of said movement to press said pinch roller means against said capstan with said tape therebetween for driving said tape.

Claim 6

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising at least one fixed magnetic head spaced from said guide drum within said clearance and being engaged by the tape in response to the movement of said engaging means in accompaniment with said guides.

Claim 7

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 3, in which said support member is in the form of a ring.

Claim 8

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 6, in which said ring is rotatable about its center which is eccentrically located with respect to the axis of said guide drum in the direction toward said reels.

Claim 9

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 3, in which said reels are mounted at a level above the plane of rotation of said head, said support member is rotatable in a plane that is slanted with respect to said plane of rotation of the head, and, at the conclusion of the movement of said tape engaging means in accompaniment with said guides, said tape engaging means is located at a relatively low portion of said support member for causing the tape to extend helically on said peripheral extent of the drum.

Claim 10

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 8, in which said plane of rotation of the head is slanted with respect to the planes of rotation of said reels so as to substantially bisect and angle included between the plane of rotation of said support member and the planes of rotation of said reels.

Claim 11

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 8, in which said tape engaging means is movable relative to said support member both in directions generally toward and away from the center of rotation of said support member and in directions generally perpendicular to said plane of rotation of the support member, and, in said inactive condition of the apparatus, said tape engaging means is displaced upwardly away from said plane of rotation of the support member and away from the center of rotation of the latter for engagement with the tape between said reels mounted at said level above the plane of rotation of the head.

Claim 12

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, in which said tape engaging means includes a guide pin, arm means supporting said pin at one end thereof, and means mounting the other end of said arm means on said support member for movement of said pin in said directions generally toward and away from the center of rotation of the support member and in said directions generally perpendicular to said plane of rotation of the support member.

Claim 13

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 10, in which said means for displacing said tape engaging means out of said arcuate path and for moving said tape engaging means into said arcuate path includes cam means extending along at least part of the periphery of said support member and cam follower means connected with said tape engaging means and engageable with said cam means.

Claim 14

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 12, in which spring means are connected with said tape engaging means to urge the latter into said arcuate path.

Claim 15

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a cassette housing said take-up and supply reels and having an opening at which the tape between the reels is exposed, and said tape engaging means includes a guide pin supported at one end by movable arm means attached to said support member and positioned, in said inactive condition of the apparatus, to extend into said opening of the cassette for engaging the tape there exposed.

Claim 16

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 14, in which said guide pin extends upwardly from said arm means, and further comprising a cassette holder including a carriage for receiving the cassette in a raised position and being movable downwardly to a lowered operating position at which said guide pin projects upwardly, in the inactive condition of the apparatus, into said opening of the cassette carried by said carriage.

Claim 17

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising selectively driven hubs mounted below said carriage of the cassette holder and projecting upwardly through the carriage for respectively engaging said take-up and supply reels when said carriage is in said lowered operating position, means for varying the spacing between said hubs to adapt the apparatus for use with respective sizes of cassettes, and locating means on said carriage and each cassette for positioning the latter properly to have its reels engaged by said hubs.

Claim 18

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 16, in which said carriage includes a substantially horizontal support plate onto which said cassette is slidable in said raised position of the holder, and said locating means includes upstanding projections on said support plate and a slot in the bottom of each cassette to receive said projections during the sliding of the cassette onto said support plate.

Claim 19

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising spaced take-up and supply reels carrying a magnetic tape and betwEen which said tape extends, a cylindrical tape guide drum spaced from said reels, at least one rotary magnetic head moved in a path substantially coinciding with the periphery of said drum, a support member extending around said drum and being rotatable in a plane that is inclined downwardly toward said reels, a plurality of guides extending upwardly from said support member and being spaced from the periphery of said drum for movement in an arcuate path about the latter, means for turning said support member between first and second angularly spaced positions, a tape engaging member mounted on said support member for turning with the latter and being movable into and out of said arcuate path, and means for displacing said tape engaging member out of said arcuate path to engage said tape between the reels when said support member is in said first position and for moving said tape engaging member into said arcuate path upon turning of said support member to said second position so that said turning of the support member causes said tape engaging member to form a loop in said tape between the reels which loop has one side wrapped about a predetermined peripheral portion of said drum for scanning by said head, while said guides move between said drum and reels under said one side of the tape loop to engage the other side of said tape loop and hold said other side away from said drum.

Claim 20

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising spaced take-up and supply reels carrying a magnetic tape and betwEen which said tape extends, a cylindrical tape guide drum spaced from said reels, at least one rotary magnetic head moved in a path substantially coinciding with the periphery of said drum, a support member extending around said drum and being rotatable in a plane that is inclined downwardly toward said reels, a plurality of guides extending upwardly from said support member and being spaced from the periphery of said drum for movement in an arcuate path about the latter, means for turning said support member between first and second angularly spaced positions, a tape engaging member mounted on said support member for turning with the latter and being movable into and out of said arcuate path, and means for displacing said tape engaging member out of said arcuate path to engage said tape between the reels when said support member is in said first position and for moving said tape engaging member into said arcuate path upon turning of said support member to said second position so that said turning of the support member causes said tape engaging member to form a loop in said tape between the reels which loop has one side wrapped about a predetermined peripheral portion of said drum for scanning by said head, while said guides move between said drum and reels under said one side of the tape loop to engage the other side of said tape loop and hold said other side away from said drum.

Claim 21

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 18, in which said support member is in the form of a ring extending around said drum and being supported by rotatable grooved rollers engaging the periphery of said ring, and said means for turning the support member includes a driven roller frictionally engaging said periphery of the ring.

Claim 22

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 18, in which said support member is in the form of a ring rotatable about its center which is displaced from the axis of said drum in the direction generally toward said reels, and in which said tape engaging means is mounted on said ring so as to be relatively widely spaced from said drum in both said first and second positions of said support member.

Claim 23

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 20, further comprising fixed magnetic head means disposed between said ring and said guide drum and being located to engage said tape between said tape engaging means and the portion of the tape wrapped about said drum when said support member is moved to said second position.

Claim 24

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 20, further comprising a rotated capstan disposed between said drum and said ring and located to be engageable by said tape between said tape engaging means and the portion of the tape wrapped about said drum when said support member is moved to said second position, pinch roller means carried by said ring to be moved adjacent said capstan with the tape therebetween when said support member is moved to said second position, and means for pressing said pinch roller means against said capstan when said support member attains said second position.

Claim 25

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 22, in which said pinch roller means is mounted on said ring for movement toward and away from said capstan when adjacent the latter, and said means for pressing the pinch roller means against the capstan includes a presser member mounted adjacent said ring and being movable between an active position where said presser member bears against said pinch roller means to press the latter against said capstan and an inactive position spaced from said pinch roller means and to which said presser member is yieldably urged, actuating means movable into engagement with said capstan to be driven by the latter for moving said presser member to said active position of the latter, first latch means for holding said actuating means out of engagement with said capstan and being released in response to the attainment of said seCond position by said support member, and second latch means which is engaged when said support member attains said second position to hold said presser member in said active position.

Claim 26

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 23, further comprising means to release said second latch means for permitting the return of said presser member to said inactive position thereof in preparation for the return movement of said support member from said second position to said first position thereof.

Claim 27

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 23, in which said actuating means for the presser member includes pivoted lever means engageable with said presser member to urge the latter in the direction toward said active position and a rotatable drive wheel peripherally engageable with said capstan and being eccentrically mounted on said lever means to provide first and second peripheral portions of the wheel at maximum and minimum distances, respectively, from the axis of rotation of the wheel, said first latch means is engageable with said lever means to dispose the latter for holding said wheel away from said capstan with said second peripheral portion of the wheel presented to said capstan and, when released, permits engagement of said wheel with the capstan so that the latter rotates said wheel and said lever means is rocked to a position corresponding to engagement of said first peripheral portion of the wheel with said capstan, and said second latch means engages said lever means in said rocked position of the latter.

Claim 28

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 18, in which said reels are mounted at a level above the plane of rotation of said head, said support member is rotatable in a plane that is slanted with respect to said plane of rotation of the head, and, when said support member is turned to said second position thereof, said tape engaging member is located at a relatively low portion of said support member for causing the tape to extend helically on said peripheral portion of the drum.

Claim 29

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 26, in which said plane of rotation of the head is slanted with respect to the planes of rotation of said reels so as to substantially bisect and angle included between the plane of rotation of said support member and the planes of rotaton of said reels.

Claim 30

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 26, in which said tape engaging member is movable relative to said support member both in directions generally toward and away from the center of rotation of said support member and in directions generally perpendicular to said plane of rotation of the support member, and, at said first position of said support member, said tape engaging member is displaced upwardly away from said plane of rotation of the support member and away from the center of rotation of the latter for engagement with the tape between said reels mounted at said level above the plane of rotation of the head.

Claim 31

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 28, in which said means for displacing said tape engaging member out of the guide path and for moving said tape engaging member into said guide path includes a cam member extending along at least part of the periphery of said support member and cam follower means connected with said tape engaging member and engaging said cam means at least when said support member is at and adjacent to said first position thereof.

Claim 32

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 28, further comprising a cassette housing said reels and having an opening at which the tape between the reels is exposed, and said tape engaging member is in the form of an upstanding guide pin extending from movable arm means attached to said support member and disposed, in said first position of said support member, to extend said pin upwardly into said opening of the cassette for engaging the tape theRe exposed.

Claim 33

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 30, further comprising a cassette holder including a carriage for receiving said cassette in a raised position of said carriage, and being movable downwardly to a lowered operating position at which said guide pin projects upwardly into said opening of the cassette carried by said carriage with said support member at said first position thereof.

Claim 34

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising raising means for returning said carriage to said raised position thereof, and means to permit operation of said raising means only when said support member is at said first position thereof.

Claim 35

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 31, further comprising selectively driven hubs mounted below said carriage of the cassette holder and projecting upwardly through the carriage for respectively engaging said take-up and supply reels when said carriage is in said lowered operating position, means for varying the spacing between said hubs to adapt the apparatus for use with respective sizes of cassettes, and locating means on said carriage and each cassette for positioning the latter properly to have its reels engaged by said hubs.

Claim 36

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus as in claim 33, in which said carriage includes a substantially horizontal support plate onto which said cassette is slidable in said raised position of the holder, and said locating means includes upstanding projections on said support plate and a slot in the bottom of each cassette to receive said projections during the sliding of the cassette onto said support plate.

Claim 37

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a holder for take-up and supply reels carrying a magnetic tape which extends between the reels, a cylindrical tape guide drum spaced from said reels, at least one rotary magnetic head moved in a path substantially coinciding with the periphery of said drum, a support ring extending around said drum and being mounted for rotation about the center of said ring which is eccentrically located with respect to the axis of said guide drum in the direction toward said holder whereby to provide a relatively large clearance between said drum and ring in said direction toward said holder, the plane of rotation of said ring being inclined so that said ring is relatively low at the portion thereof disposed between said guide drum and said holder, means for turning said support ring between first and second angularly spaced positions, a tape engaging member mounted on said ring for turning with the latter and being relatively widely spaced from said drum in both said first and second positions of the support ring, said tape engaging member being engageable with the tape between the reels when said ring is in said first position and drawing a tape loop from between the reels and wrapping one side of the loop about a portion of said periphery of the drum in response to movement of said ring from said first position to said second position, a plurality of guides spaced apart along said ring and, in moving along said relatively low portion of the ring, passing under said one side of the tape loop into said tape loop to engage the other side of the latter and hold said other side away from said drum, a rotated capstan disposed in said large clearance between said drum and said ring and located to be engageable by said tape between said tape engaging means and the portion of the tape wrapped about said drum when said ring is moved to said second position, pinch roller means carried by said ring to be moved adjacent said capstan with the tape therebetween when said ring is moved to said second position, and means for pressing said pinch roller means against said capstan when said ring attains said second position.

Claim 38

A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a holder for take-up and supply reels carrying a magnetic tape which extends between the reels, a cylindrical tape guide drum spaced from said reels, at least one rotary magnetic head moved in a path substantially coinciding with the periphery of said drum, a support ring extending around said drum and being mounted for rotation about the center of said ring which is eccentrically located with respect to the axis of said guide drum in the direction toward said holder whereby to provide a relatively large clearance between said drum and ring in said direction toward said holder, the plane of rotation of said ring being inclined so that said ring is relatively low at the portion thereof disposed between said guide drum and said holder, means for turning said support ring between first and second angularly spaced positions, a tape engaging member mounted on said ring for turning with the latter and being relatively widely spaced from said drum in both said first and second positions of the support ring, said tape engaging member being engageable with the tape between the reels when said ring is in said first position and drawing a tape loop from between the reels and wrapping one side of the loop about a portion of said periphery of the drum in response to movement of said ring from said first position to said second position, a plurality of guides spaced apart along said ring and, in moving along said relatively low portion of the ring, passing under said one side of the tape loop into said tape loop to engage the other side of the latter and hold said other side away from said drum, a rotated capstan disposed in said large clearance between said drum and said ring and located to be engageable by said tape between said tape engaging means and the portion of the tape wrapped about said drum when said ring is moved to said second position, pinch roller means carried by said ring to be moved adjacent said capstan with the tape therebetween when said ring is moved to said second position, and means for pressing said pinch roller means against said capstan when said ring attains said second position.